Dig Deeper
Curiosity. Visibility. Cohesion.
A parent-led project working in partnership with clinicians and local stakeholders to help ensure underlying medical causes are considered when children with severe autism, complex learning difficulties and limited or no verbal communication experience distress.
Curiosity
Look beyond behaviour to understand what may be happening.
Visibility
Help children’s medical needs to be recognised and understood.
Cohesion
Bring parents and clinicians together for better outcomes.
THE PROJECT
A practical tool for real change.
Dig Deeper aims to co-develop, with clinicians and parents, a Clinical Screening Checklist and Action Pathway to help paediatricians systematically consider possible underlying medical causes of distress.
The checklist is in development.
Who This Project Is For
Children and young people under 18 who have:
- Severe autism and/or complex learning difficulties
- Limited or no verbal communication
Who experience:
- Self-injurious behaviour
- Severe distress or dysregulation
- Behaviour that is difficult to interpret or manage
OUR APPROACH
A collaborative process for lasting impact.
Through structured co-production, we aim to develop and validate the screening checklist and action pathway with clinicians and parents.
Phase 1
Parent-led evidence gathering
Collect family experiences.
Phase 2
Pattern identification
Identify common medical factors.
Phase 3
Clinical co-development
Validate and refine the checklist.
Phase 4
Roll out and feedback
Train, learn and improve.